


All Through the Night (and Through the Years)

by geri_chan



Category: Troubleshooters Inc. - Suzanne Brockmann
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 04:56:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2800361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geri_chan/pseuds/geri_chan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam, Alyssa, and their kids throw a baby shower for Jules and Robin, who reminisce about past adventures as they await the birth of their daughter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Through the Night (and Through the Years)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Frostfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frostfire/gifts).



> This story is set after "Beginnings and Ends".
> 
> Special thanks to Lawless523 for betaing the story. Any remaining mistakes are mine, not hers.

"Thanks for coming, guys," Jules said to Sam and Alyssa as he opened the door to his and Robin's new house. Their move to the West Coast had taken awhile: Jules had needed to apply for a transfer, and they'd had to look for a new home and arrange to sell their old place in Boston. It proved difficult to leave their first house and all the happy memories they'd shared there behind.

But now Jules was officially assigned to the FBI's LA office and they had moved into a beautiful new house that was starting to feel like home. They had invited Sam, Alyssa, and the kids over for dinner and an unofficial housewarming party to celebrate. 

"It's our pleasure," Alyssa said. She was carrying a large shopping bag filled with presents, but set it down on the floor to give Jules a hug and a kiss on the cheek before turning to bestow the same on Robin.

"Besides," Sam said with a grin, "you don't think we'd pass up a chance to check out your new digs, do you? Not to mention a free meal."

"I love you, too, SpongeBob," Jules laughed, pulling Sam into a hug, which Sam returned easily, adding a manly thump on the back for good measure.

"So where are the munchkins?" Robin asked. "Don't tell me you left them behind."

"Uncle Robin, Uncle Jules!" Haley and Ashton chorused, rushing through the door. They both flung their arms around Robin with such enthusiasm that they nearly knocked him over.

"Well, maybe not munchkins anymore," he chuckled, wrapping his arms around them. "Boy, you two have really grown!"

"Hugs for me, too?" Jules asked, spreading his arms open, and the two obligingly rushed into his embrace. After the hugging was over, he held them at arm's length and took a good look at them. It really had been awhile since he'd last seen them. Another good thing about this move was that he'd be able to spend more time with Sam and Alyssa and the kids. 

"Robin's right, you've really grown, Ash," Jules said, and the boy smiled proudly as he straightened up, trying to stand a little taller. "And you're turning into a beautiful young lady, Haley."

She beamed at him, and Jules said to Sam with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "You'll be beating the boys off with sticks soon, if you aren't already."

"Come on, Squidward," Sam drawled. "Do you really think I'd go around threatening boys with sticks?" 

"Yes," Alyssa, Jules, and Robin all replied in unison.

"You wound me," Sam said, feigning a hurt look. "If a young man came to the house to take my daughter out on a date, I'd politely remind him to behave like a gentleman towards her--while I was cleaning my rifle, that is."

"Roger," Alyssa said in a stern voice, giving him an equally stern look.

"What?" Sam asked. "Proper gun maintenance is very important."

"I'll never get a boyfriend at this rate," Haley said with a sigh.

"Don't worry," Alyssa assured her stepdaughter. "I'll keep your dad under control."

"That must be a full time job," Jules said.

"Tell me about it," Alyssa sighed. She reached into the bag of gifts at her feet and pulled out a bottle of wine with a red ribbon tied around the neck. "Happy housewarming."

A quick glance at the label confirmed that, as expected, it was Robin's favorite brand of non-alcoholic wine. Jules accepted the bottle with thanks, but noticed that the bag was still full to overflowing. "Did Christmas come early this year?" he asked. "Not that I don't like presents as much as the next guy, but really, having all of you here is the best gift that I could ask for."

"That's very sweet, Jules," Alyssa replied. "But they're not for you...well, not really."

"We're giving the two of you a baby shower!" Haley declared.

"Maybe not a shower exactly," Alyssa laughed. "But with the baby almost here, we thought it might be nice to bring some things for her."

"Although I'm sure you guys have all the stuff you need and more," Sam added. "What with Boy Wonder here being a movie star, people are probably falling all over themselves to give you free stuff for the exposure."

"We've received gifts from fans," Robin admitted. "And freebies from companies hoping for some publicity. But a personal gift from friends means so much more to us."

"No need to get all mushy about it," Sam said, but he looked pleased.

"Yeah, well, that's how we gay guys roll," Robin replied. There was a time when that remark would have had a slight edge to it, since Sam had not initially approved of Robin's relationship with Jules. However, that was all in the past, and today Robin's voice held only good-natured humor.

"Can we open these now?" Jules asked. "Or should we wait till after dinner?"

"Open them now!" Haley urged. "I want you guys to see what we got the baby. When is she going to be born?"

"The doctor says about another week," Jules replied. "Although our surrogate Penny, says that she's so huge, she feels like she's ready to pop any minute now."

"And it's going to be a girl, right?" Haley asked.

"That's what the sonogram says," Robin said, beaming with fatherly pride. 

"I'm glad," Haley said with satisfaction. "I've already got two little brothers, so it'll be nice to have a little...well, not exactly a sister, but sort of like a cousin?" 

Jules only occasionally saw Haley's half-brother, Mary Lou's son by her second husband, but it seemed like the blended families got along well together. "I'm sure she'll be glad to have a big sister like you, Haley," Jules said warmly. 

"Well, I already have a sister," Ash pointed out. "But a girl's okay, I guess."

"So glad you approve, buddy," Robin joked, ruffling Ash's hair. 

Jules and Robin led their guests from the entry hall into the living room, and sat down to open presents. Some of them were the usual sort of baby gifts: little booties and bibs, one of which said, "Daddy's little girl". 

"Shouldn't it be 'Daddies' little girl, plural?" Jules asked.

"Well, the bib industry isn't hip to gay parenting yet, I guess," Sam said with a shrug.

Jules laughed out loud when he opened the next gift: a dark blue onesie with "FBI" printed on the front in large, bright yellow letters. "She's a little young to join the Bureau yet," he said. "But thanks, guys!"

There was also a pink onesie printed with the Troubleshooters logo. "You never know, she might want to come work with us when she grows up," Alyssa said.

"Is pink standard issue for all Troubleshooter operatives?" Jules quipped.

"Why sweetie, don't you think that pink's my color?" Sam drawled, and everyone laughed.

There was also a tiny t-shirt with a picture of SpongeBob Squarepants on the front, a joking reference to Jules's nickname for Sam. And the final gift was a soft, plush teddy bear.

"That's from me," Haley said proudly. "I bought it with my allowance."

"I helped," Ash added defensively. "Well, a little bit."

Haley rolled her eyes but agreed, "Yeah, Ash chipped in for it, too."

"Thanks, guys," Jules said. "I'm sure the baby will love it." 

Once the presents were all opened, Jules and Robin showed their guests around the house, including the nursery that was ready and waiting for the upcoming addition to the family. Alyssa and Haley oohed and ahed over how cute it was: the walls had been painted with a woodland setting in pastel colors, with charming little birds and forest creatures peeking out from behind trees and bushes. 

Meanwhile, Sam and Ash tried to maintain a show of polite interest as Robin explained, "The set designer from my last movie did it as a thank-you for recommending her to the director."

"It's cute, I suppose," Sam said.

"Maybe you'd prefer jungle camouflage, SpongeBob?" Jules teased.

"That'd be more my style," Sam agreed. "But this is really nice, in a gay kinda way."

"What other way would it be?" Robin retorted good-naturedly, and Sam laughed.

"It's great. I'm sure your daughter love it."

After the tour was over, they returned to the living room and Jules brought out dinner, which had been delivered from a nearby Italian restaurant. Robin jokingly tried to convince them that he'd cooked it himself and had become a gourmet chef in his newfound free time. 

"Enjoy that free time while it lasts," Alyssa warned him. "Because you won't get much of it once the baby arrives."

"But it'll be worth it, one hundred percent," Sam said firmly. 

"Absolutely," Alyssa agreed, kissing Haley and then Ash on the cheek.

"Argh, Mom, no mushy stuff!" Ash protested.

"Mushy stuff...bleah," Sam echoed in fatherly solidarity, pulling an exaggerated face of disgust. Then he grinned and wrapped his arms around his son in a bear hug. "I'll show you mushy!"

_"Dad!"_

Everyone laughed, even Ash, and eventually settled down to dinner. Jules opened Alyssa's bottle of wine for the adults, while the kids got sparkling grape juice. As they ate, the adults talked a bit about work. Some of it was in vague terms, since much of the Troubleshooters and FBI cases were either classified or not appropriate for young ears. Robin was able to talk more freely, entertaining the kids with a few G-rated anecdotes about actors from their favorite shows. 

The kids were also eager to tell Jules and Robin what they'd been up to, talking about school and various extra-curricular activities. Apparently they'd had a Career Day event at Ash's school where the parents of the students came in and talked about their jobs. 

"Of course I was the coolest," Ash bragged. "Because Dad was a SEAL and Mom was FBI, and now they're both in Troubleshooters."

"You can't get much cooler than saving the world, multiple times over," Robin conceded. "Not even being a movie star can compare to that."

"Don't worry, I think you're cool, too, Uncle Robin," Haley assured him. "Besides, there's different kinds of coolness...what Dad and Alyssa do is awesome, but so is Ihbraham's work, too." Her stepfather ran his own landscaping business, and Haley had picked up a love of gardening from him. "I mean, making things grow is pretty cool, don't you think? It's like..." She paused to choose her words. "Like bringing new life into the world. Ihbraham says that creating things is harder than destroying them, but much more worthwhile."

"That's perceptive, Haley," Jules said, impressed. He definitely hadn't been that philosophical at her age. 

"There are times when I think I'd like to work with plants," Haley continued. "Become a gardener, or maybe a botanist. But other times, I think I'd like a job like yours, or Dad and Alyssa's." She grinned at Robin. "Or maybe become an actress!"

"I'm gonna work for Troubleshooters when I grow up," Ash declared. "Or maybe I'll be an astronaut. Hey, maybe I could be a Troubleshooter _and_ an astronaut!"

"Anything's possible, buddy," Sam said, ruffling his son's hair fondly.

"What about you guys?" Haley asked Robin and Jules. "Did you ever have trouble deciding what to be? And do you ever think about how things would be different if you'd chosen a different career?"

"Well, I've pretty much always wanted to be an actor, and I can't imagine being anything else," Robin said. "The great thing about acting is that I get to try out all different kinds of jobs--I've played a Navy SEAL, a soldier in the second World War, and even an actor in my last TV series. How's that for surreal, an actor playing an actor?" He turned to Jules and said, "What about you, babe?"

Before Jules could reply, Sam grinned and said, "You could've joined the fashion police instead of the FBI." 

Jules burst into laughter, saying, "God, I'd almost forgotten about that!"

Robin gave him a quizzical look and said, "I feel like I'm missing out on an inside joke here."

"Oh sorry, sweetie," Jules said, then hesitated. "It happened after the shooting of _American Hero_ , during that period when we were, well..."

Robin grimaced. "You mean when we weren't together because I was being an in-denial, alcoholic asshole who let the best thing in his life walk away from him because he was too scared to face the truth that he was gay."

"Hey, that was a long time ago," Jules said gently, reaching out to lay a hand over Robin's. "Yeah, you were screwed up back then. But you found the courage to face up to your fears and get help, and we worked things through together." He squeezed Robin's hand reassuringly, and Robin squeezed back. " _Together_ being the key word. You know that I love you and I trust you with my life--I wouldn't be having a baby with you otherwise."

"I know that," Robin said quietly. "We've been solid for the past several years, and it's been the happiest time of my life. I never want to take you for granted, Jules. It scares me sometimes when I think about what a fool I was and how close I came to losing you."

"Don't worry," Jules assured him with a loving grin. "I'm much more stubborn than that--you'll never get rid of me!" 

He leaned over to kiss his husband as Alyssa, Sam, and Haley smiled indulgently. Ash just sighed in resignation, muttering, "More mushy stuff."

When they pulled apart, Robin winked at Ash and said, "So, before we totally ruin Ash's appetite with all this mushy stuff, why don't you tell me the story about the fashion police?"

"Well," Jules said, leaning back in his chair. "It all started when Sam decided to take me out drinking to distract me from my broken heart..."

*** 

It was Sam's usual hangout, not Jules's, a bar that catered to military types and their hangers-on, which meant that Jules felt distinctly out of place. But he was feeling too morose to care about all the sidelong glances other patrons were giving him, although normally he'd call out something like, "Hey sweetie, see something you like," just to rile them up. Maybe it was just as well that he didn't start a bar fight, anyway. On the other hand...maybe a fight would distract him from thoughts of Adam or Robin, or worse, Adam and Robin together.

"Come on, Squidward, cheer up!" Sam said, a bit too heartily, slapping Jules on the back. "Or at least, drink up and drown your sorrows."

"Yes, because getting drunk solves all your problems," Jules replied bitterly. "Because that works so well for Robin." 

"You aren't an alcoholic," Sam pointed out. "Sometimes it helps to get shit-faced drunk, get hungover and sick the next morning, and get it all out of your system."

In spite of himself, Jules couldn't help but smile slightly at Sam's imagery. "What, so I get rid of my feelings for Robin by puking my guts out?"

"Purge it out of your system, so to speak," Sam agreed, taking a swig from his bottle of beer.

"Did that work for you when you were trying to get over Alyssa?" Jules asked bluntly, and Sam winced.

"No," he admitted. "And believe me, I tried. But..." Sam hesitated, then said gently, "I hate to break it to you, Jules, but the chances of you and Robin getting together are even more impossible than it seemed for me and Alyssa. And that's with Alyssa hating me at first, and me getting Mary Lou pregnant. Robin Chadwick is--"

"He's an alcoholic and completely in denial about being gay," Jules interrupted. "I already know that! And even if those things weren't problems, I know that he'd have to remain closeted because of his career. And even if I were okay with hiding who I am, which I'm not, with the paparazzi always following him around, our secret would be bound to get out eventually, and there'd be all kinds of drama in the media that could ruin both of our careers. I already know all that, Starrett! And I still..."

His voice started to shake, and Jules fell silent because damn it, he was not going to burst into tears in the middle of a bar filled with macho military men. He half expected Sam to recoil in embarrassment, or at least look a bit uneasy at this display of impending tears. Then he felt ashamed for thinking that way when Sam placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look.

"I know, man," Sam said quietly. "Believe me, I know how much it hurts, loving someone you can't have. But this guy is bad news, Squidward--maybe even worse than Adam, and that's saying something. So get drunk, cry in your booze, and puke your guts out if you have to. But please get it out of your system, Jules, because this guy will break your heart."

"I think he already has," Jules whispered.

Sam sighed, clapping his hand on Jules's shoulder's again. "I know, buddy," he said quietly. "I know."

There was nothing much to say after that, so they drank in silence for awhile. Despite Sam's urgings to get drunk, Jules nursed his beer slowly because he knew that no amount of alcohol was going to make him forget Robin. 

After the silence had stretched long enough to become uncomfortable, Jules cleared his throat and asked, "So...is it really a good idea for me to meet your SEAL buddies? I know that I of all people shouldn't stereotype others, but most of the military guys I've met have not exactly struck me as being overly tolerant--including you, sweetie."

"But hey--look how tolerant I am now, sweetie pie!" Sam said with a broad grin, and Jules had to laugh, just a little, especially when a waitress overheard and gave Sam an incredulous look.

"Your buddies might get the wrong idea," Jules joked, expecting Sam to make some kind of wisecrack in return.

However, Sam's expression immediately turned more serious and he said, "They're good friends that I trust with my life, but so are you. That's why I want them to meet you. They'll make a few jokes, I'm sure, but if they cross the line then I'll pound some respect into their thick skulls until they get it. Because you are someone important to me, and they need to understand that."

That stunned Jules into speechlessness for a moment. He knew that Sam cared about him, of course, but hearing Sam bluntly state that he was on the same level as Sam's SEAL brothers-in-arms moved Jules nearly to tears. Hell, maybe he was just being overemotional because of the whole Robin thing, but he was so choked up that his voice shook a little as he stammered, "Sam...I...I don't know what to say."

But now Sam's grin was back in place, and he drawled in his cowboy accent, "Besides, I am secure in my masculinity. It's no skin off my nose if some idiot jumps to the wrong conclusion because I hang around with a gay dude. Of course, it helps that I have a hot wife who finds me irresistible."

"She does," Jules conceded, laughing as he discreetly--or so he hoped--brushed the tears from his eyes with a quick swipe of his hand. "Although if she heard you phrase it that way, she just might kick your ass."

"I like to think of it as foreplay," Sam replied without missing a beat, and Jules laughed again.

"If she heard you say that, you'd definitely get your ass kicked!"

"Her ass-kicking ability is a large part of what I love about her," Sam said with complete sincerity.

"Hey Sam," a voice called out, and Jules turned to see two men walking over towards them. One of them Jules vaguely recognized from a past mission in Kazbekistan, the one where he had first met Sam. 

"Jules, this is Izzy Zanella and Ken 'WildCard' Karmody," Sam said, making introductions as the pair pulled up seats at their table. Karmody was the one that Jules had met before. Zanella was younger, and was giving Jules a dubious look, as if wondering what the hell he was doing here with Sam. 

"Guys, you remember Jules Cassidy, right?" Sam continued. "Alyssa's partner."

"Right, the FBI guy," Karmody said, pleasantly enough.

"Looks more to me like the fashion police," Zanella said, and two of them cracked up at the joke while Sam shook his head slightly and sighed.

It was true that Jules was way overdressed for this bar, where the unofficial dress code seemed to be mostly jeans and t-shirts, with a leather jacket or camouflage pants here and there for variety. However, Jules figured that just because his personal life was a mess, didn't mean he had to look like one. 

So he smiled coolly and shot back, "Lucky for you that I'm not, sweetie, otherwise you'd be under arrest."

Karmody looked startled for a moment, then burst into laughter, while Zanella looked as if he was trying to decide between being amused or offended. He seemed to be leaning towards "amused," judging by the way that the corners of his mouth were quirking upwards. Maybe this might turn out okay, after all. Jules didn't mind the gay jokes so much if those guys were willing to laugh at themselves as well. 

Besides, he _was_ gay and pretty damn fashionable and proud of it, so eat your hearts out, macho Navy SEALs.

He raised his glass in a mock toast and opened his mouth to say so, when suddenly someone banged against his chair and jostled him hard, nearly causing him to spill his drink all over himself. Some of it did slop over onto the table.

Jules looked up to see a muscle-bound gorilla staring down at him...well no, that was unfair to actual gorillas. It was a man, then, dressed in camouflage pants and a tight t-shirt that seemed designed to flaunt upper arms bulging with muscles as thick around as his thighs. The man had an equally thick neck, which unfortunately did not make for an appealing picture. He resembled a slightly smaller and less green Hulk, or perhaps just a bodybuilder who had overdosed on steroids. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," the man said mockingly. "Did I make you spill your drink, princess?"

Sam gave him a cold stare and said in a voice that was quiet but laced with menace, "You might want to apologize to the gentleman and be on your way." However, the Hulk seemed oblivious to the threat, his attention still focused on Jules.

"You gonna let your boyfriend fight your battles?" Hulk asked with a sneer. 

Jules saw Karmody and Zanella both frown and tense, obviously preparing to take on the Hulk if necessary, and his opinion of Sam's friends went up another notch. Even if they made fun of the gay guy, apparently he was _their_ gay guy and nobody else got to pick on him. It was kind of heartwarming, really.

Before any of the SEALs could make a move, Jules batted his lashes at the Hulk and said, "Why sweetie, if you wanted to know if I was single, all you had to do was ask."

Hulk's face reddened, and one of his massive hands balled up into a fist as he drew his arm back. The SEALs hastily pushed back their chairs and jumped to their feet, although Jules noticed that Sam remained calmly seated.

Jules was already on his feet as Hulk swung at him with a punch that he neatly sidestepped. Using the Hulk's momentum, Jules kicked at his legs while simultaneously grabbing his outstretched arm and pulling him forward. The end result was Hulk making a face plant into the barroom floor...which was none too clean, Jules observed, being covered with patches of spilled beer and other unidentifiable substances. 

As soon as Hulk hit the floor, Jules pressed a knee into his back to keep the man from getting up again as he reached into his jacket pocket to pull out his handcuffs and snap them closed around Hulk's wrists. 

"Oh fuck," Hulk groaned, his voice muffled slightly since his face was pressed down against the floor. "Are you a cop?"

"In a matter of speaking," Jules replied coolly. "You're under arrest for assaulting a federal agent...princess."

Hulk groaned again, and thumped his head against the floor--out of frustration with his own stupidity, Jules assumed. Meanwhile, Karmody and Zanella were staring at him in open-mouthed shock. Sam just raised his eyebrows and said, "Seriously? You carry handcuffs with you when you're off-duty having a drink with friends? That's pretty kinky, Squidward."

"Don't worry, I wasn't planning to use them on you, hot stuff," Jules retorted good-naturedly. "I mean, you are kind of cute, but I don't date married men--especially when they're married to my best friend. Oh, and by the way...thanks for all your help, SpongeBob."

Sam just grinned at him. "You seemed to have things under control, sweetcakes."

The two SEALs finally got over their shock, and were gazing at him with newfound respect in their eyes. Zanella slapped Jules on the back in a macho-male-bonding gesture and said, "That was pretty impressive, FBI."

"Yeah, I'd have you on my side in a fight any day," Karmody agreed, then added with a grin and a wink, "You can even give me fashion tips!"

***

"Really?" Robin said, bursting into laughter. "The fashion police?"

"Yeah, Zanella's kind of a smart-ass," Sam replied. "Though he's matured a lot since then."

"Hey Uncle Robin," Haley said eagerly. "Maybe you could do a show about the fashion police! Like, you could be a fashion model who moonlights as a private detective, or a policeman who goes undercover as a model."

The others laughed, except for Robin, who pursed his lips thoughtfully and said, "You know...that might not be so far-fetched. After all, Dick Van Dyke played a doctor who solved crime on Diagnosis Murder."

"And the guys in Miami Vice were pretty fashionable, even if they weren't models," Jules chimed in.

"I'll mention it to my producer, Art," Robin told Haley. "If we ever do use the idea, I'll make sure you get a mention in the credits."

"Cool!" Haley exclaimed.

"And I'd get to be a Hero of Justice and fight bad guys like the rest of you," Robin told Jules, Alyssa, and Sam. "Even if it's only on a TV or movie screen."

Jules wrapped a protective arm around Robin, saying in a low voice that was almost a growl, "Just make sure you keep your heroics safely on the screen. I don't ever want to see you risk your life again like that time when I thought Junior's thugs had killed you."

"I love it when you get all protective and possessive, babe," Robin purred, leaning over to kiss him passionately. 

"Hey guys," Sam called out. "There are children at the table. Let's keep things rated G, or at least PG, okay?"

"Wouldn't want to scandalize the kids," Jules said lightly, although it took all his willpower not to drag Robin off to the bedroom right now, guests be damned.

Robin chuckled and settled for kissing Jules on the cheek in a much less heated manner. "You're my real life hero, babe, and not just because you risk your life on the job." He turned to the others. "Did he tell you about the fan who broke into our place back in Boston?"

"Why no, he did not," Alyssa replied, giving her former partner a rather frosty look.

"I didn't want to worry you guys," Jules said sheepishly. "And it wasn't really that big of a deal anyway--just an overenthusiastic fan who got a little out of hand."

"Tell us all about it, Uncle Jules!" Haley demanded.

"Normally we're careful about keeping the house secure," Jules explained. "But the moving company was there that day to pack up and ship our boxes, and he must have slipped in during the confusion..."

*** 

"Well, that's the last of it," Robin said as they watched the moving van drive away. "Next week we'll be moving into our new house, and we'll get to unpack everything that we just packed up."

"Don't remind me," Jules groaned.

"We can pay people to do that for us, you know," Robin reminded him. "That is one of the benefits of being rich and famous--well, of being rich, anyway."

"I know, I know," Jules sighed. "And we will need some help with the furniture, but I don't want strangers going through our personal stuff, like our clothes and--"

"Our sex toys?" Robin joked.

"I do have a pair of regulation handcuffs if you want to play cops and robbers," Jules teased, reaching to place his hands on Robin's waist and pull him closer.

"Ooh, are you going to interrogate me, Agent Cassidy?" Robin asked coyly. They started to kiss, but pulled apart when they heard a noise from upstairs.

"What was that?" Jules asked sharply. 

"I don't know," Robin replied. "It sounded like a chair got knocked over. I thought all the moving guys had left already."

"Stay here," Jules ordered. He reached under his jacket to draw his gun from its holster as he headed up the stairs. 

He heard a muffled curse and footsteps coming from the bedroom, and cautiously peered through the doorway to see a young man picking himself up off the floor in front of the open closet. A chair was tipped over on the floor; it was one that hadn't been sent with the moving van precisely because it was a bit wobbly. There was also a cardboard box lying beside the chair that come open and spilled a bunch of photographs on the floor. The pictures were candid shots of Jules, Robin, and their friends and families that they hadn't had time to organize into photo albums yet. They were a little personal to be entrusted to the hands of strangers, even a moving company that had been thoroughly vetted by Robin's assistant Dolphina, so they had been planning to just take it along with them when they made the move.

"Freeze!" Jules shouted, pointing his gun at the stranger. "Federal agent!"

The man looked up at Jules and his eyes widened, "Oh wow--you're him! The FBI agent that Robin's married to!"

"Hands where I can see them," Jules snapped, and the man raised his hands in the air, though more casually than Jules would have liked.

"Whoa, take it easy," the intruder said. "No need to get violent, dude. Really, this is all a big misunderstanding."

"What, you just happened to break into my home by accident?" Jules asked sarcastically.

"Well, 'break in' is kinda harsh," the man whined. "I'm a mega fan of Robin Chadwick--I've seen all his movies and TV shows."

Jules took a closer look at their unwanted guest and saw a young man in his late teens or early twenties at most, who was wearing a t-shirt printed with Robin's likeness as his character Joe in _Shadowland_. So maybe he really was telling the truth about being a fan--or more likely, a stalker, which was no more appealing than the idea of a burglar breaking into their home.

"Jules, is everything okay up here?" 

Jules turned his head slightly while still keeping the gun trained on the intruder. His husband was standing behind him, holding a half-full bottle of (non-alcoholic) wine by the neck like a makeshift club.

"What part of 'stay here' do you not understand?!" Jules shouted at Robin.

"When you didn't come down right away, I got a little worried," Robin replied. "But it seems that you have everything under control here."

"Oh man!" the intruder exclaimed, staring at Robin in starstruck awe. "It's you! Robin, I'm your biggest fan--" In his excitement, he dropped his arms down to his side and took a few steps forward.

Jules promptly kicked the man's legs out from under him, and he fell flat on his back with a startled yelp. Jules then holstered his gun and and twisted the intruder's arms behind his back with a little more force than was necessary--evoking another yelp--and snapped a pair of handcuffs on him.

"You really were carrying your cuffs," Robin observed, lowering the bottle of wine. "And your gun. I thought you were just joking earlier."

"I'm not on duty, but I didn't want to leave them lying around while the movers were here," Jules said. "And you," he snarled at the intruder. "What the hell are you doing in our house, and how did you get in here?"

"Take it easy, man," the man whimpered. "Like I said, I'm a big fan of Robin's. I hired a PI to find your address so that I could stop by. I swear, I didn't mean to break in--I was just going to take a look from the outside, maybe snap some pictures and ask for an autograph if he was home. But I saw the movers, and the front door was open, and there were so many people going in and out that I managed to sneak in without anybody noticing. I thought it would be cool to get a look at where Robin lives, and maybe, you know, get a souvenir or two..."

"So in addition to breaking and entering, you were planning to steal from us as well," Jules said in an icy voice.

"I didn't really think of it as stealing," the man protested. "I wasn't going to take anything valuable, just something small, like maybe one of those photos..."

"You have the right to remain silent and stop showing off your stupidity," Jules said in disgust. "Robin, call 911. And later we’re going to have a talk about staying put and not rushing off unarmed to confront an intruder who might or might not have a weapon."

After the police had taken their statements and hauled off the overeager fan, Robin said, "In my defense, I wasn't entirely unarmed."

"What, you were going to offer him some wine?” Jules scoffed.

"I was going to club him over the head with it, obviously,” Robin replied. “Look, I was worried--"

"And how do you think I would feel if you got shot because you rushed in here and the perp had a gun?" Jules shouted. "What if it hadn't been some thoughtless fanboy, but someone like Adam's stalker? Remember how you almost got killed before we had a chance to get married?" Tears filled his eyes and he said in a quieter but no less desperate voice, "You are everything to me, Robin. If anything happened to you..."

"I'm sorry, Jules," Robin said, reaching out to pull his husband into his arms. "I was scared for you even though I know you're trained to handle this sort of thing. I got caught up in the moment and just rushed in without thinking."

"You shouldn't have rushed in like that," Jules said sternly, even though he was blinking back tears. "I admit, you've handled yourself well in tough situations, but--"

"But I'm not a pro," Robin finished. "I get it."

"And worrying about you could have distracted me while I was trying to take down our thief, and that could have been fatal if he had been armed and dangerous," Jules continued, and Robin turned pale at the thought.

"I'm so, so sorry, babe," Robin said a shaky and chastened voice. "If anything happened to you because of me, I could never forgive myself."

"Then remember that feeling," Jules said. "Because that's how I feel when I think about something happening to you."

"I love you, Jules," Robin whispered. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Jules whispered back. "You are my world, and I would do anything to keep you safe." He pushed Robin up against the wall and kissed him possessively...

*** 

"Whoa, time out!" Sam exclaimed. "Kids here, remember?"

"And one of them doesn't like mushy stuff," Alyssa said with a wry smile, glancing at her son. 

"Well, I think it's very romantic," Haley declared.

"Ahem," Jules said, clearing his throat. "Let's just say that we kissed and made up, and are living happily ever after together. The end!"

"Or rather," Robin said, smiling tenderly at him, "the beginning of a new chapter of our lives."

*** 

After their guests had left, Robin said, "Remind me again how things ended after my overzealous admirer was taken away by the police."

"It ended happily that time," Jules said somberly, reaching out to take his hand. "But the thought of you getting hurt scared me so much."

"And I'm sorry that I scared you by being reckless," Robin apologized. "But God, Jules...the way you're so protective of me just makes me feel so safe and so loved."

"Adam used to call it 'possessive' rather than protective," Jules said, a bit ruefully.

"And I love it that you're possessive, too," Robin said firmly. "You weren't right for Adam, but you are exactly right for me, babe. I've told you before, I love the way you make it so clear that I am your one and only. You are so intense about it that it makes me feel special." He grinned and added, "Oh, and I find it pretty hot too, by the way."

"Do you now?" Jules murmured. "I seem to recall that we left off the story here." He pushed Robin up against the wall kissed him, and Robin's lips parted eagerly against his. Their tongues entwined as they kissed and caressed, hands fumbling with their clothing as Jules ground his hips against Robin's, pressing him up harder against the wall. Robin didn't seem to mind, grinding against Jules with equal fervor.

Robin growled impatiently when the buttons of Jules's shirt refused to cooperate, and in frustration, simply tore the shirt open, sending buttons flying everywhere. 

"You owe me a new shirt," Jules complained, but the truth was that he found it incredibly hot, and had sacrificed a number of shirts in the past without any regrets. They sometimes joked about how they were single-handedly keeping the men's garment industry afloat.

"I promise, I'll buy you a new one," Robin murmured, pressing his lips against Jules's neck gently, and then with more force, biting and sucking, sending little jolts of pleasure-pain through Jules's body. He liked it when Robin showed a little possessiveness too, and relished the idea of being marked by his lover even if it meant going into work the next day sporting a hickey. Then again, he was taking some vacation time to deal with the move, so he could get as many hickeys as he wanted without embarrassing himself.

While Robin was playing vampire, Jules somehow managed to unbutton Robin's shirt without any damage. Once his bare flesh was exposed, Jules ran his hand down Robin's chest, letting his fingers brush against Robin's nipples before they trailed down his well-defined abs. Robin shuddered with pleasure in response, and Jules savored his reaction.

"Should we move this to the bedroom?" Robin whispered into his ear, nipping at the lobe, and it was Jules's turn to shudder.

"We could," he replied in a husky voice. "But if we're reenacting that past incident, I seem to recall that we didn't make it that far."

"Well then, who am I to rewrite history?" Robin purred, unzipping Jules's trousers and reaching inside his underwear to close his hand around Jules's cock. 

His fingers moved in slow, teasing strokes, and Jules moaned, "God, Robin, _please._ I swear, you're killing me!"

"Well, we can't have that, now can we?" Robin replied, with a gleam of mischief in his eyes. Robin's hand released Jules, and just as he started to groan in protest, he suddenly found himself being flung up against the wall, their positions reversed. 

Robin unzipped his trousers, pulling them down his hips along with his underwear. Then he leaned forward and began rocking his hips against Jules slowly, and Jules moaned loudly, delighting in the sensation of Robin's hardness sliding against his own. He bucked his hips against Robin's, trying to increase the pace, and Robin murmured into his ear, "Impatient, aren't we?"

"You're damn right," Jules tried to say, but his words broke off into an incoherent groan as Robin reached down between their bodies with one hand to take hold of both their cocks. He crushed his mouth against Jules's, and Jules moaned into Robin's mouth as he wrapped his hand around Robin's, urging him on. Together their hands moved in eager, frantic strokes--no more teasing foreplay, only a desperate need to reach completion.

Robin came first, crying out in release, and that was enough to send Jules over the edge a second later, mindless, overwhelming pleasure wracking his body.

When he could begin to think coherently again, he found himself still leaning against the wall, with Robin's body slumped against his, his head lolling on Jules's shoulder, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Jules was quite grateful for the wall at the moment, since he wasn't sure that his legs would be able to support his own weight unaided, let alone Robin's.

Robin's breath gradually slowed and evened out, and he lifted his head to smile at Jules. His face was flushed and his hair was mussed, and with his clothes pulled aside haphazardly, Robin looked disheveled and slightly debauched--and utterly delectable. Jules wanted to make love to him all over again though he knew that he wouldn't be able to rise to the occasion yet (pun fully intended).

"We are a mess," Robin said, though he didn't sound the least bit perturbed about it, still gazing at Jules with a lazy, satiated smile.

"That's funny," Jules replied. "Because I was just thinking that you look beautiful, sweetie." He brushed his lips against Robin's in a light but tender kiss.

"You're beautiful, too," Robin said, kissing him back. "Messy, but beautiful."

"Well, in that case, we should get cleaned up," Jules said smiling in anticipation at the thought. "A long bath together, and then maybe we could take things into the bedroom like you originally suggested."

"Sounds like a brilliant plan," Robin replied. "That must be why I married you--that and the fact that I love you, of course."

*** 

One week later, they got the call and rushed down to the hospital. They took turns sitting with Penny, the birth mom, holding her hand as the painful contractions came and went--and boy, did she have a bone-crushing grip for someone who looked so small and delicate (other than her nine-months pregnant belly).

"Don't look so pale, Jules," she reassured him with a smile, even though he wasn't the one giving birth. "I'm healthy and the baby's healthy. Please don't worry so much." 

"I only look pale because you're breaking all the bones in my hand," Jules retorted good-naturedly, although he had been imagining all the things that could go wrong. He had been there at the hospital when Ash had been born, but that had not been nearly as nerve-wracking. He supposed it was different when it was your own child being born. Sam had been a nervous wreck, and he probably owed his friend an apology for teasing him about it at the time.

"Everything will be okay, babe," Robin said soothingly, planting a kiss on Jules's cheek, then bending down to plant another on Penny's. "You've faced down gangsters and terrorists without breaking a sweat--do you really find this more terrifying?"

"Absolutely," Jules replied without hesitation. "Facing down bad guys is what I'm trained to do. But the thought of anything happening to the people I love fills me with terror."

"I know," Robin said gently. "But I'm fine, and the baby will be fine."

"Rationally, I know that," Jules sighed. "But still, I can't help feeling anxious. How can you be so calm?"

Robin laughed at the accusing tone in Jules's voice. "I am totally nervous, babe! But I'm an actor, remember, so I'm better at hiding it." He laid a hand on Jules's shoulder. "And since you were looking pale, I thought I should be your rock."

"Aw, you guys are just too sweet," Penny said, then gasped. "Oh boy, I think it's almost time!"

"What, now?" Jules exclaimed, frantically looking for the call button. "I'll get the nurse--no, the doctor!"

Robin laughed and wrapped his arms around Jules, although his eyes were bright with anxiety and excitement, too. "Relax, Jules...everything will be fine."

*** 

And several hours later, everything _was_ fine. Birth mom and baby were in good health, though the former was tired and the latter was crying.

"She has a good set of lungs on her," Robin said proudly, cradling their daughter in his arms. "Here, Daddy J, maybe you'll have better luck soothing the savage baby."

"Don't call our daughter a savage," Jules protested as he gingerly accepted the tiny, pink-wrapped bundle. Her face was a few shades darker than the pink blanket she was wrapped in, and it was wrinkled and scrunched up as she continued to wail, but Jules thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He rocked her gently in his arms and tried crooning a few children's lullabies. When that didn't work, he started singing, "All Through the Night," which had been one of his favorite songs--even before he and Jules had made love to it on their wedding day.

Robin smiled nostalgically at the memory even as he raised an eyebrow and said, "I'm not sure that's really appropriate for a lullaby." But even as he spoke, the baby's cries died down in volume and lapsed into silence, whether it was because of the song or merely exhaustion.

"Well, it is our song, after all," Jules laughed. "And I guess this proves that she really is our daughter!"

*** 

A few days after that, Sam and family turned up at the house again, this time to offer congratulations.

"I can't believe we were on an assignment when the baby was born!" Alyssa cried, flinging her arms around Jules. "I'm so sorry that I missed it, but congratulations."

"You're here now, and that's what matters," Jules assured her. "Want to say 'hi' to the new addition to the family?"

"Of course," Alyssa said, hugging Robin more carefully since he was holding the baby. "She's beautiful."

"Kinda looks like you, Boy Wonder," Sam observed. "Which is odd, since Squidward is the sperm donor."

"I think it's the blonde hair," Robin said, gently stroking the downy gold tufts of hair crowning the baby's head. "But that's due to Penny, the bio-mom, not me. Actually, I think her eyes look like Jules's."

The baby was content, having recently been fed and burped, and she gazed placidly up at the strange faces staring down at her. "Yes, I can see that," Alyssa agreed. 

"I dunno," Ash said doubtfully. "To me she just looks like...well...a baby." He hastily added, "A cute baby, though," as if worried about hurting the proud parents' feelings.

"I think she's beautiful," Haley said, looking nearly as enamored with the baby as Jules was himself. "Could I hold her? Please? I'll be really careful."

"Of course, sweetie," Robin said, handing the baby over to her, and as promised, Haley held the baby very carefully, taking special care to support her head. Jules wasn't worried since she'd had past experience with her younger brothers, and the other babies in the extended Troubleshooters family. 

"So what's her name?" Haley asked, still staring down at the baby with a doting expression on her face. "You guys sent out an e-mail announcement that the baby was born, but you never said what you named her."

"Don't tell me that you haven't decided yet," Sam said. "I hate to think of her going through life as Baby Girl Chadwick Cassidy."

"We wanted it to be a surprise," Robin said as he and Jules grinned at each other. "You want to do the honors, babe?"

"Guys," Jules said, "I'd like to formally introduce you to Samantha Jane Chadwick Cassidy." He watched his friends' faces, taking pleasure in their looks of surprise and then delight. 

"Ohmygod!" Haley exclaimed, the words running together in a single squeal of excitement. "Did you name the baby after Dad?"

"Well, we thought about calling her 'SpongeBob' instead, but we figured that might cause her trouble later in life," Jules replied, his grin widening. "So yeah, we named her in honor of Sam, who really helped me through some tough times before Robin and I worked things out."

"You've both been amazing friends to us," Robin told Sam and Alyssa. "And we wanted to include 'Alyssa' too, but--"

"But you also wanted to honor Jane, who's been as much a mother as a sister to you," Alyssa finished for him. "And you didn't want to saddle the poor kid with a mile-long name, since it's already a pretty big mouthful. No worries, Robin--I think Samantha Jane is a wonderful name for a wonderful girl." She added with a mischievous smile, "I'm sure it will get shortened to 'Sam,' but if she complains when she's older, I'll tell her to be grateful you didn't name her 'Roger'!"

Jules laughed and kissed her on the cheek. "We'll name the next one after you," he promised. 

"Don't get ahead of yourself, mister," Alyssa mock-scolded him. "I know you haven't made plans for a 'next one,' and even if you do have another child, what if it's a boy?"

"Well, we could call him 'Al,' I suppose," Robin said, and everyone burst into laughter. 

They had a good visit with their friends, and everyone fussed over the baby, except for Ash, who was a little too young to have much interest in a child that was not yet old enough to play with and did little other than eat, sleep, cry, and dirty her diapers. He did try to be polite, saying that the baby was cute, and shaking a rattle to entertain her. However, he recoiled in horror when Robin asked if he wanted to hold Sam-the-younger, which provoked another round of laughter.

Samantha behaved like an angel during the visit, but apparently that used up the day's quota of good behavior, because she cried at random intervals for most of the night. She would calm down just long enough for Jules and Robin to doze off, before jolting them out of sleep again with those powerful lungs that Robin had been so proud of.

"The phrase 'all through the night' is starting to take on a different meaning," Jules sighed.

"Well, we were warned about sleepless nights by all our friends and relatives who are parents," Robin replied ruefully. "Why don't you go back to sleep, babe? I'll get this shift." 

Jules yawned, then said, "It's okay; I'll go with you. I'm still on leave, so it's not like I have to get up early for work tomorrow."

They took turns holding, walking with, rocking, bouncing, and singing to Sam as she continued to cry her lungs out. Trying to distract her with rattles and other toys didn't help, either.

It was currently Robin's turn, and he held her against his chest, gently patting her back. "Any second thoughts about parenthood?" Robin joked.

"Not at all," Jules said firmly. "I wouldn't trade this for anything, no matter how many sleepless nights we go through. And look on the bright side: when she's a teenager who's slamming doors and yelling how we don't understand her and dating inappropriate boys, then we'll look back on these days fondly and wish that we all we had to deal with was a little crying."

"That's your idea of the 'bright side'?" Robin laughed. "I hate to think what your idea of 'dark' is! Oh, and you of all people should not be prejudiced. Hypothetical teenage Sammie could be dating inappropriate girls, too."

"I stand corrected," Jules said, and folded his arms around Robin from behind, wrapping his husband and daughter in a tender embrace. And miracle of miracles, Sam's crying slowly petered out and sputtered to a stop, and she fell asleep with her tiny head resting on Robin's shoulder. 

They stood there like that for a little while, not wanting to break the moment--not just the silence, but the feeling of being a family. Jules found himself looking forward to the days and years ahead, no matter if they were filled with sleepless nights and angry, hormonal teenagers. As long as they were together, Jules knew that somehow things would work out in the end.

**Author's Note:**

> I was thrilled to get this assignment because I love Jules and Robin, and I also love the friendship between Jules and Sam (and Jules and Alyssa), so it seems like we love the same things about the characters and the series!
> 
> I was so excited by all the prompts in your Yuletide letter that I couldn't decide on just one! The ones that inspired this fic are: Jules impressing some of these big bad SEAL boys; Jules going absolutely postal to save Robin's ass; porn for Jules and Robin (where Jules is all protective and badass and territorial out of the bedroom, but Robin is in charge inside it); Jules and Robin taking care of a baby. 
> 
> I had to take a guess as to the gender of Jules and Robin's baby (and Mary Lou's second child), since Suzanne Brockmann hasn't given us those details yet. But I liked the idea of them naming a daughter after Sam, so I decided on a girl.
> 
> I loved being able to re-visit the Troubleshooters world, and I hope you have as much fun reading the story as I did writing it!
> 
> ETA: This is kind of embarrassing, but somehow I managed to forget that Robin, being a former alcoholic, probably wouldn't be drinking wine until a commenter pointed it out. *facepalm* So I've edited the story slightly to clarify that it's a non-alcoholic wine. (A quick web search pulled up a variety of brands/types, so hopefully it's plausible that they'd receive a bottle as a gift or keep some in their home.)


End file.
